By Ogochukwu Isioma
Erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP), and Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze has commended the Igbo Community in Rivers State for adopting the governorship candidate of the APC, Pst. Tonye Cole as their sole candidate for the rescheduled February 18 Governorship and House of Assembly Election in the state.
In a statement made available to the media, Eze said the Igbo community also made a donation of N20 million as their contribution to the Governorship project of the APC candidate with a promise to mobilize community members to vote in mass for the party and ensure their votes are protected for the interest of the state and democracy. This is unprecedented when many politicians like Wike are looking for a way to bribe tribes and individuals in order to sustain his evil control of the State
Recall that the APC candidate, Tonye Cole alongside other party leaders including former Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi attended an interactive session in Port Harcourt, Wednesday, with stakeholders of Igbo community in Rivers State where the adoption and financial donation were made.
Speaking at the forum, former Minister Amaechi told stakeholders that an APC government would abolish discrimination of non-indigenes in the state as he did during his administration, and pleaded with the Igbo residents to support the APC Governorship candidate, Pst. Tonye Cole for a better, prosperous Rivers state.
Eze said he agrees with Amaechi’s assertion that Igbo are not purchasable when he stated, “An Igbo man can’t be bought with money. You are too rich to be purchased.” Sadly to Wike every human being is purchasable so let him continue to see how many Rivers State people he can purchase to support his evil agenda against the State instead of preparing his handover note come May 29th as he can’t continue to fool anybody in Rivers State anymore.
The party’s governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, on his part said the future of the state was at stake, and appealed to the Igbo residents in the state to join other electorates to vote him as Governor, for a stable economy and sustained development of the state.
Chief Eze commended Dr. Calistus Nwachukwu and the Chairman of Oba Town Union in Rivers State, Mr. Ifeanyi Umezuruike and several other stakeholders for their efforts in ensuring that Rivers people hive a sigh of relief after May 29, noting that their sacrifices depicts deep love for Rivers State and will be reciprocated with good governance under the in-coming APC administration in the state.
While commending former Governor, Rotimi Amaechi for placing the interest of non-indigenes in the state top on his priority list during his days as Governor, Chief Eze condemned Wike for destroying the good legacies and cordial relationships the Amaechi administration established with non-indigenous communities in the state through his crass ineptitude and crude display of power in usurpation of laws and known norms in governance under democracy. He however expressed confidence that Pst. Cole will do more.
Eze laughed at Wike’s announcement of promotion for civil servants and planned employment of 10,000 workers into the scanty state workforce. Describing the move as inconsequential to the March 18 elections, he noted that such initiative that had long been expected cannot save the Governor and his protege from imminent defeat at the guber polls. The party Chief hinted that that the politically motivated gimmick was a reaction of Wike’s unsettled state since the arrival of Amaechi who has been touring the state alongside Tonye Cole, with result of overwhelming acceptability from people of all cadres.
Eze boasted that if anybody can attest of the love of IGBOS by Amaechi, he is in better position to do that being one of the highest beneficiaries of Amaechi’s love to the IGBOS. Stating further that apart from the scholarship given to children of Igbo extraction he ensured that Ndi-Igbo were duly captured in his historical 13,000 employment Policy.
In this regard, I implore all IGBOS, Yorubas, Northerners and the entire good people of Rivers State to ensure that Pastor Tonye Cole is massively voted for for the emancipation and development of Rivers State
Let us prove to Wike that he can’t singlehandedly determine the fate and destiny of Rivers State and her people
The APC chieftain noted that he remains doubtless that by May 29, Wike and his administration will go down in history as the worst thing that happened to Rivers State and her people in the 21st century and the remembrance of him will be an unblessed memory.
